One in four Massachusetts residents are worried they will fall behind on their mortgage payments in the next three month, according to a recent poll by the Donahue Institute at University of Massachusetts.

The poll, which was sponsored by the Citizens Housing and Planning Association and surveyed 515 residents across the state, revealed that housing affordability was the second-greatest worry for residents, behind only job security. Almost half, or 45 percent, of respondents said housing costs were making it difficult for their family to make ends meet.

"One of the things that struck me was that despite the decline in [property] values… affordability remains a major issue," said Michael Goodman, Director of Economic and Public Policy Research at the UMass Donahue Institute. "What we found is that affordable housing remains a very top-of-mind issue, ranking only behind jobs on the public mind."

Forty eight percent of respondents were concerned that either they, or a member of their immediate family residing with them, will lose their job in the next three months.

The UMass Donahue Institute said the poll was conducted during the last two weeks of March, and the margin of error was plus or minus 4.4 percent.